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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 1281.PDF
NOVEMBER 29, 1934. FLIGHT. 1285 COMMERCIAL 7\WAT/ON AIRLINES AIRPORTS CROYDON Loud Speakers : During the Fog : Interesting Passenger Lists : Olley " Specials IT is curious that I should have mentioned the need for loudspeakers in the main hall, for the Air Ministry has thismatter well in hand, and a loud speaker system, wherebypassengers can be called when machines are ready to depart or when coaches are leaving for London, will be in working order within a week or so. One of the three loud speakers to be used will be in the buffet, and the microphone will be so placed as to afford little temptation to practical jokers and small boys. Despite considerable difficulty, remarkable results were achieved in operating services to and from the Continent during the fog. On one day last week, for example, all the K.L.M. services were run though only one of them used Croydon—the early morning departure. The inward morning machine landed at Biggin Hill, the midday service was operated thence, and the inward afternoon machine landed at Lympne. The point is that all passengers, goods and mails reached their destinations —which is better than being fog-bound on a boat in the Thames for three days and nights. Both Biggin Hill and Lympne have had machines of rive nationalities seeking refuge with them during the past week. Lympne. under Capt. Markam, has lived up to its ancient tradition of efficient and cheerful service, and pilots of all nationalities are loud in their praise of the courtesy and hospital- ity displayed at Biggin Hill. It seems to me very noble of the officers there to entertain a mixed bunch of passengers in the mess. I am told some of the passengers were somewhat astonishing in their behaviour. It is to be noted, not without a smile, that some of the much vaunted airports which are said to be free from fog when Croydon is not, have not been available during the last spell of really bad weather. Croydon is not ideal, but if slashing attacks are to be made on it in the daily papers, the writers should at least get their facts right. One such effort spoke of Croydon as having "sprung into notoriety a few years back when part of the field collapsed under a taxying air- liner, disclosing an underground stream." Now that happened at Hanworth, which is near enough, perhaps, for a newspaper story. The next item was somewhat exaggerated praise for ourneon beacon which was said to be visible twenty-five miles away in fog. A number of interesting passengers came in during the week.One Imperial Airways' machine had on board Princess Helen of Roumania and Princess Irene of Greece, who were met byPrince Paul of Yugoslavia. On the same aeroplane were •>iin- cess Mdivani and Sir Philip Sassoon. By tht Scandinavian AirExpress of K.L.M.-A.B.A. came Prince Carl of Sweden. On another K.L.M. machine was the first through passenger fromMelbourne to Croydon, Lady Moulden, who flew back as far as Amsterdam by the Douglas, and who stated that the wholetrip was delightful, and that the aeroplane was extremely com- fortable. On the freight side, items worthy of mention were some filmsfrom Australia via K.L.M., consigned to the Vauxhall Motor Co., and cleared through customs with despatch by Lep Trans-port, Ltd., and another parcel, by K.L.M. Bat a via-Amsterdam line, consisting of fresh flowers from Athens consigned toPrincess Marina and delivered to Buckingham Palace Olley Air Service, Ltd., have had both shooting and yacht-ing specials during the week—a machine-load of sportsmen in Harris tweeds with pun cases for Wales, and two separatecharters for Southampton and Portsmouth, with yachtsmen wishing to inspect their yachts refitting for sea. A special ambulance machine was also ordered from thesame company to carry an invalid with a dislocated neck, the idea being to obtain freedom from the jolting inseparablefrom other forms of transport. While referring to the late Capt. Prendergast last week,omission of a word caused my remark to appear, to say the least of it, rather ambiguous. Actually, of course, thesentence should have read: "Although Capt. A. R. Prender- gast . . . had spent most of his service with Imperial Airways abroad . ....". I hear that all the Imperial senior pilots have nowcompleted the blind flying course at Hamble. which is univer- sally acknowledged to be of the utmost value. A. VIATOR. North Atlantic Airship Service Since his return from the United States, Dr. Eckener has stated that an agreement has been reached with the Govern- ment whereby the new L.Z. 129, on its completion next year, will be used on an experimental service between Germany and Lakehurst, or, perhaps, Miami. It is calculated that the new ship will make the crossing either way in 48 to 55 hours. Empire Services Duplicated It has been decided that ihe Empire services from London to Calcutta and to Johannesburg shall be duplicated. This will give a twice-weekly service for both mail and passengers in both directions between Britain and Palestine, Iraq, the Persian Gulf, India. Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanganyika, North and South Rhodesia, and the Union of South Africa, and four return services a week between Britain and Egypt. The daily stages will be identical to those on the present services. , . The first duplicate service from London to Johannesburg will leave Croydon on Sunday, December 30, with departures each Sunday and Wednesday thereafter. The first to Calcutta will leave Croydon on Tuesday. January 1. 19.55- subsequent departures being on Tuesdays and Saturdays. In the reverse direction the commencing dates are: From Calcutta, Saturday, January 5, 1935 : and from Johannesburg, Saturday, January 5, 193.5- Portuguese Air Mails A contract between the Posts and Telegraphs Departmentand the Aero-Portuguesa Limitada, for the carriage of air mail matter between Portugal and Morocco—and thence to andfrom South America—was signed in Lisbon on November 8. The Aero-Portuguesa Ltda. undertakes to provide oneservice between Lisbon and Tangiers weekly, on Saturdays to Tangiers and on Sundays back to Lisbon. The service is tobe run in such a manner that connections between the Portu- guese aircraft and the southbound Air France machines shallbe ensured. The company made a deposit of Esc.20,000,000 (about /180 at the present exchange) as a guarantee that itwas contracting in good faith. The contract is to last one year, and at the expiration itmay be renewed if the Government so wishes. By giving thirty days' notice either party may bring an end to thecontract. The Posts and Telegraphs Department guarantees to utilise the Company's facilities for all mail matter destinedby senders to travel by air. It reserves the right to use in case of necessity or convenience any other aerial services whichmay, in the future, be established in Portugal. Otherwise, the contract is a trifle one-sided. The contract may be can-celled, for instance, should four consecutive trips fail to b* run. Since October 20 the Lisbon-Tangiers service has workedwithout mishap. One can but commend the French for their foresight ingetting well in, and it is perhaps a pity that British capital has not been sufficiently interested in Portugal.
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